AND FINALLY...

A big weekend of club deciders lies ahead in both codes

- BY PAT NOLAN

THE club season is coming to THE boil this weekend with 17 senior county finals down for decision across both codes.

Some - the Dublin football, Cork and Offaly hurling deciders - will be live on television with various streaming services offering scores of games across the country online outside of that.

Here are five of the most eye-catching games taking place this weekend.

Cork Premier SHC final

Midleton v Sarsfields

County finals always bring an emotional dam burst for the winners but it will be especially true for whoever emerges from the Cork hurling decider.

There's a strong sense of poignancy on both sides with Midleton still reeling from the loss of Ger Fitzgerald, the former Cork star who managed them to their last county title in 2022, and Darragh McCarthy, an up and coming player in the club, who passed within days of each other last March. Sarsfield, meanwhile, lost club stalwart Ray Ryan, brother of ex-Cork boss Pat, in February at the age of just 43.

Midleton haven't been helped by the fact that they will be without talisman and long-serving Cork star Conor Lehane and fullback Eoin Moloney, both of whom have Achilles injuries.